James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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202. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will report on the potential for funding for the subsidisation of children’s PCR and antigen testing inbound and outbound at airports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32550/21]

James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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203. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will make funding available to enable PCR and antigen testing at airports in line with the digital Covid certificate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32551/21]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 202 and 203 together.

All persons who have been overseas in the 14 days prior to entering Ireland (apart from those arriving from designated states who are subject to mandatory hotel quarantine) are required by law to quarantine at home for 14 days, and are requested to arrange a COVID-19 Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test to be taken at least 5 days after arrival in Ireland.

This test is free of charge and is available at testing centres operated at locations around the country by the Health Service Executive (HSE). The test should be booked in advance of arrival in Ireland and must be booked for a date at least 5 days after arrival. Those who travel from Great Britain, who are not fully vaccinated are now requested to remain in quarantine and seek a further test at least 10 days after arrival in Ireland,in addition to the day 5 test. This day 10 test is also free of charge. A test can be booked by visiting the HSE Test Booking website.

They are currently no plans to make funding available for testing at the Airports for outbound passengers. Testing is already provided at the Airports and locations all around the country by a number of private providers.